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Auto alternatives for the 21st centuryFri, 09 Dec 2016 20:46:09 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.4Report Says Used EV Batteries Should Be Recycled, Not Reusedhttp://www.hybridcars.com/report-says-used-ev-batteries-should-be-recycled-not-reused/
http://www.hybridcars.com/report-says-used-ev-batteries-should-be-recycled-not-reused/#commentsFri, 09 Dec 2016 20:27:02 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=529569Even though they still have leftover storage capacity once they’ve degraded too far for automotive use, lithium-ion batteries should be recycled, not reused. At least, that’s what a new report says. Automakers have been experimenting with alternative uses for these batteries, but a report from Lux Research suggests that recycling the battery packs would be […]

The report states that re-use leads to “questionable returns on account of reduced performance,” the report said, and that batteries being re-used experience “less frequent and shallower depth of discharge cycles.”

In Lux’s view, that means used batteries from EVs will not be suited for duty for residential energy storage. Even if it used batteries are cheaper up front, the report says, “reduced round-trip efficiency and cycle life” makes them a poor fit.

That will come as bad news to BMW and Nissan, which both have communicated interest in marketing used lithium-ion battery packs from their EVs for residential use. General Motors, Nissan and Toyota have also looked into such energy-storage systems for commercial use, although in Toyota’s case the batteries are nickel-metal-hydride.

Tesla, however, recycles its batteries, as they are not suitable for energy storage in most cases.

Lux Research says that smelting is the most mature among recycling technologies, and with 65 gigawatt hours of so-called “second life” battery packs poised to enter market in 2035, it will be interesting to see if companies follow Lux’s advice.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/report-says-used-ev-batteries-should-be-recycled-not-reused/feed/0Toyota Aims to Develop a More Advanced Battery for EVshttp://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-aims-to-develop-a-more-advanced-battery-for-evs/
http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-aims-to-develop-a-more-advanced-battery-for-evs/#commentsMon, 28 Nov 2016 20:08:43 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=524457Toyota is looking to develop a more-advanced electric-car battery in the near future. The battery, which the company hopes to have to market “in a few years,” will provide 15-percent better range and battery life than current ones, according to Toyota. “Lithium-ion battery is a key technology for electrifying cars, and there is a clear […]

]]>Toyota is looking to develop a more-advanced electric-car battery in the near future.

The battery, which the company hopes to have to market “in a few years,” will provide 15-percent better range and battery life than current ones, according to Toyota.

“Lithium-ion battery is a key technology for electrifying cars, and there is a clear need, going forward, for improving this technology and its performance even more,” Hisao Yamashige, a battery technology researcher at Toyota, said before assembled media in Tokyo on Thursday.

Almost all automakers from Toyota to Tesla are working to improve battery technology, as better range and longer life will help give EVs a sales boost. Toyota is also trying to develop an all-electric car – as opposed to a hybrid or plug-in hybrid – by 2020 in time for the Tokyo Olympics, and improved battery tech will help with that project.

Toyota is getting research and development help from a publically-financed Japanese laboratory and four Japanese universities – they’re studying how current lithium-ion batteries work, in order to find new designs that can prevent lithium ions from bunching up. When lithium ions bunch up inside electrodes, it leads to shorter range, shorter battery life and sometimes, overheating.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-aims-to-develop-a-more-advanced-battery-for-evs/feed/0Toyota to Explore Fuel Cell Technology for Semi Truckshttp://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-to-explore-fuel-cell-technology-for-semi-trucks/
http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-to-explore-fuel-cell-technology-for-semi-trucks/#commentsMon, 21 Nov 2016 19:22:32 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=522217Toyota has long been an energetic advocate for hydrogen fuel cells as alternative to battery-powered electric cars, and is now looking into large, long-haul truck applications. The Japanese automaker has formed a unit within its U.S. research and development facility in California to see if fuel cell technology is feasible for heavy-duty trucks. “Toyota has […]

]]>Toyota has long been an energetic advocate for hydrogen fuel cells as alternative to battery-powered electric cars, and is now looking into large, long-haul truck applications.

The Japanese automaker has formed a unit within its U.S. research and development facility in California to see if fuel cell technology is feasible for heavy-duty trucks.

“Toyota has long maintained that hydrogen fuel cell technology could be a zero emission solution across a broad spectrum of vehicle types,” the company said in a brief statement. “The scalability of this technology is enabling the automaker to explore a semi-trailer truck application for a California-based feasibility study.”

The Japanese automaker already sells the Mirai fuel cell passenger car in California and is set to put two fuel cell buses on the road in Japan next year, with plans for 100 of the buses in service for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.

A heavy-duty semi truck sized fuel cell vehicle would solve the problem of how to clean up truck emissions.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, medium- and heavy-duty trucks produce about 20% of the greenhouse gases from the transportation sector.

Even though federal regulations have clamped down in recent years, trucks also produce a disproportionate amount of smog-causing oxides of nitrogen and particulates.

There are a mountain of challenges facing Toyota, however, not the least of which is the scalability of fuel-cell technology.

Fuel cell vehicles use a “stack” that combines hydrogen with oxygen from the air, and chemically coverts it to an electric current than can be used to operate electric motors like those found in an electric vehicle.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-to-explore-fuel-cell-technology-for-semi-trucks/feed/0Lexus Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Planned for 2020http://www.hybridcars.com/lexus-hydrogen-fuel-cell-car-planned-for-2020/
http://www.hybridcars.com/lexus-hydrogen-fuel-cell-car-planned-for-2020/#commentsTue, 15 Nov 2016 05:00:24 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=518897Following in the tire tracks of the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car, Lexus is planning its own luxury version to arrive by 2020. Speaking with British car magazine Auto Express, Alain Uyttenhoven, head of Lexus Europe said that Lexus is adapting the hydrogen fuel technology developed by parent company Toyota and that there are only a […]

]]>Following in the tire tracks of the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car, Lexus is planning its own luxury version to arrive by 2020.

Speaking with British car magazine Auto Express, Alain Uyttenhoven, head of Lexus Europe said that Lexus is adapting the hydrogen fuel technology developed by parent company Toyota and that there are only a few hurdles left to overcome.

“The problem is packaging the technology into a normal sized car,” he said. ”It will fit into an SUV. We just need to get the right level of performance for a premium car.”

The new fuel cell car could be similar to the large fuel-cell flagship sedan LF-FC that debuted at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/lexus-hydrogen-fuel-cell-car-planned-for-2020/feed/02017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Becomes New Fuel Economy Champ With 58 Mpghttp://www.hybridcars.com/2017-hyundai-ioniq-hybrid-becomes-new-fuel-economy-champ-with-58-mpg/
http://www.hybridcars.com/2017-hyundai-ioniq-hybrid-becomes-new-fuel-economy-champ-with-58-mpg/#commentsMon, 14 Nov 2016 20:10:52 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=518721Hyundai’s 2017 Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t have the Toyota Prius’ flamboyant styling, but it does have an EPA-certified fuel economy rating that bests the Prius Eco, making it the most fuel efficient car sold in America without a plug. When it arrives before the end of the year, the Ioniq Hybrid will have a window sticker […]

]]>Hyundai’s 2017 Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t have the Toyota Prius’ flamboyant styling, but it does have an EPA-certified fuel economy rating that bests the Prius Eco, making it the most fuel efficient car sold in America without a plug.

When it arrives before the end of the year, the Ioniq Hybrid will have a window sticker showing 57-miles per gallon city, 59-mpg highway and 58-mpg combined.

That compares to the Toyota Prius Eco Two at 58-mpg city, 53-mpg highway for a combined 56-mpg. The Prius Eco Two is a relatively basic model, and five other Prius Liftback trims are rated not as high, with 52 mpg combined.

“We need some way to ‘pop’ above our competitors and get recognition in an area where we’re just kind of a new born, said Michael J. O’Brien, Hyundai Motor America vice president of corporate and product planning, during a media event Thursday. “I think for us having class-leading numbers is certainly a way of getting noticed.”

The engine is backed up with a 43 horsepower electric motor that is fed by a 1.56-kwh hour lithium-ion battery.

Combined, the engine and motor are good for 139 horsepower, besting the Toyota’s 121 horsepower.

Rather than an electronic continuously variable transmission employed in the Prius and most hybrid vehicles, the Ioniq uses a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, known for more sporty performance than refinement.

Shortly after the Ioniq Hybrid arrives it will be followed by a battery only model with an electric driving range of 124 miles and an EPA MPGe (miles-per gallon equivalent) rating of 136.

At the press event, company officials said a 200-plus miles EV is coming in 2018.

A few months after, early next year, a plug-in hybrid Ioniq will be released.

With its 8.9-kWh lithium-polymer battery good for more than 25 miles of electric driving, it too will beat the new Prius Prime plug-in hybrid rated at 22 miles.

This onslaught of battery assisted and battery-powered cars is part of Hyundai’s plan to offer 10 hybrids, eight plug-in hybrids, six EVs and two fuel cell vehicles by 2020.

Hyundai acknowledged Toyota’s decades of work and millions of hybrids sold to make it the number one manufacturer of green vehicles, but the number two spot is up for grabs and the South Korean automaker aims to grab it.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/2017-hyundai-ioniq-hybrid-becomes-new-fuel-economy-champ-with-58-mpg/feed/0Stop-Sale On Prius Ordered By Toyotahttp://www.hybridcars.com/stop-sale-on-prius-ordered-by-toyota/
http://www.hybridcars.com/stop-sale-on-prius-ordered-by-toyota/#commentsFri, 28 Oct 2016 15:14:45 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=512322A stop-sale has been ordered for the Toyota Prius hybrid. Along with ordering its dealers to stop selling the 2016-2017 Prius, Toyota is also recalling 91,585 units in the U.S. for parking brakes that may fail to engage. The new 2016-2017 Prius has a foot-operated parking brake with a tension cable that could possibly detach […]

Along with ordering its dealers to stop selling the 2016-2017 Prius, Toyota is also recalling 91,585 units in the U.S. for parking brakes that may fail to engage. The new 2016-2017 Prius has a foot-operated parking brake with a tension cable that could possibly detach from the rear brake calipers, according to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The automaker first discovered the problem in May, following a U.S. dealer’s report on a failure.

Since that initial report, Toyota has received at least 67 reports of parking-brake cable detachments, although the issue is not tied to any injuries of acccidents.

According to Toyota, the cable is particularly prone to loosening over bumps in the road. Other Prius models, including the C, V and plug-in Prius Prime do not share the same cable assembly as the standard Prius hybrid.

Approximately 19,500 of the recalled vehicles are currently in dealer inventory and they will not be sold until they’re repaired. Toyota dealers will install a clip at one end of the parking-brake cable to secure it to the rear clipers. Repairs aren’t expected to begin until December.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/stop-sale-on-prius-ordered-by-toyota/feed/0Toyota’s Approach to Self-Driving Cars: Assist Drivers, Don’t Replace Themhttp://www.hybridcars.com/toyotas-approach-to-self-driving-cars-assist-drivers-dont-replace-them/
http://www.hybridcars.com/toyotas-approach-to-self-driving-cars-assist-drivers-dont-replace-them/#commentsTue, 25 Oct 2016 04:00:40 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=510730Toyota’s ambition is to have self-driving cars on the road by 2020, but rather than replace the driver, the automaker’s top priority is to help them drive safely. “A completely autonomous car is not what we’re looking for,” said Seigo Kuzumaki, Toyota’s assistant chief safety technology officer, during a presentation to Automotive News. “Our priority […]

]]>Toyota’s ambition is to have self-driving cars on the road by 2020, but rather than replace the driver, the automaker’s top priority is to help them drive safely.

“A completely autonomous car is not what we’re looking for,” said Seigo Kuzumaki, Toyota’s assistant chief safety technology officer, during a presentation to Automotive News. “Our priority is to reduce the number of accidents.”

Kuzumaki’s comments come as several automotive and tech companies are beginning to test fleets of self-driving vehicles on public roads.

Google was first with a ride-hailing service at its corporate headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Parts supplier Delphi Automotive has announced plans to launch fleet tests of self-driving taxis in Singapore, and Uber is launching a test fleet of self-driving Volvo taxis in Pittsburgh this year.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/toyotas-approach-to-self-driving-cars-assist-drivers-dont-replace-them/feed/0Toyota to Build Hybrid Transmission in Polandhttp://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-to-build-hybrid-transmission-in-poland/
http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-to-build-hybrid-transmission-in-poland/#commentsMon, 24 Oct 2016 19:09:51 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=510354Toyota Motor Europe has announced plans to build a new $165 million plant in Poland that will produce transaxles for hybrid vehicles and add two engine production lines at an existing plant. The new Toyota manufacturing facility will start production in 2018 located at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP) in Walbrzych. “We are very pleased to be […]

]]>Toyota Motor Europe has announced plans to build a new $165 million plant in Poland that will produce transaxles for hybrid vehicles and add two engine production lines at an existing plant.

The new Toyota manufacturing facility will start production in 2018 located at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP) in Walbrzych.

“We are very pleased to be able to bring hybrid transaxle and additional petrol engine production to the heart of Europe, here in Poland, where the members of our plants have developed exceptional quality and competitiveness,” said Johan van Zyl, president and chief executive officer of Toyota Motor Europe.

The investment announcement comes a week after Daimler revealed it would spend $560 million to build a new Mercedes-Benz engine plant in Jawor, Poland.

The hybrid transmission to be produced is a key component of Toyota’s hybrid powertrain, and will be fitted with the 1.8-liter ZR engine.

This hybrid powertrain will be used in the European Auris and Auris Touring Sports Hybrid vehicles sold in Europe, as well as the new C-HR crossover when it starts production at the end of this year.

The hybrid transaxle for the Auris hybrids is currently produced at Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan and imported to Europe.

The projects bring Toyota’s total investment of manufacturing operations in Poland to more than $1 billion since operations began in 2002 with the production of diesel engines.

Diesel powertrains have been the preferred choice for personal transportation for decades in Europe.

But the market is changing, and a new generation of plug-in hybrids that can operate on electricity, gasoline or both is grabbing the attention of European buyers, adding to the growing numbers of the traditional hybrid vehicle.

Going forward, Toyota Motor Europe expects its hybrid sales in Europe to increase from its current level of 31 percent of total sales to a target of 50 percent by 2020.

“We are committed to further strengthen our presence in Poland,” said Eiji Takeichi, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland. “Adding the hybrid production makes our operations sustainable for the future for the benefit of our members and local community.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-to-build-hybrid-transmission-in-poland/feed/0Toyota Unveils a Fuel-Cell Bushttp://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-unveils-a-fuel-cell-bus/
http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-unveils-a-fuel-cell-bus/#commentsFri, 21 Oct 2016 18:54:31 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=509754Toyota has just unveiled what might be on of the largest fuel-cell vehicles on the market. And no, you probably can’t buy it. Unless you run a Japanese public-transit agency. SEE ALSO: 5 Cool Things About the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime That’s because Toyota will be selling fuel-cell buses starting early next year. Plans are […]

That’s because Toyota will be selling fuel-cell buses starting early next year. Plans are to be selling more than 100 of these buses in and near Tokyo in advance of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Toyota will look to update the bus fleet in 2018. The fuel-cell system is based on what’s used in the Mirai, but of course modified to work in a city bus.

One of the more notable things about the fuel-cell buses is that they will deliver an electric supply of up to 235 kWh. That amount of energy could come in handy in certain circumstances, such as emergencies – the bus could power a building being used to evacuate survivors from a disaster. The bus can also be used to power home appliances.

As for its design, the bus also takes visual cues from the Mirai, such as the boomerang-shaped headlamp fixtures.

It may not be as sleek-looking at the Mirai, but the fuel-cell bus will likely help cut emissions from Japan’s public-transit fleet, and it can haul a lot more passengers than the Mirai can.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-unveils-a-fuel-cell-bus/feed/0Toyota’s European Aygo City Car Could Become a Stand-Alone EVhttp://www.hybridcars.com/toyotas-european-aygo-city-car-could-become-a-stand-alone-ev/
http://www.hybridcars.com/toyotas-european-aygo-city-car-could-become-a-stand-alone-ev/#commentsFri, 14 Oct 2016 18:59:51 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=506442For the past few years Toyota has scoffed at battery electric vehicles, instead favoring gasoline-electric hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but that could change. During an interview with British publication Auto Express, Toyota’s European CEO, Johan van Zyl, suggested that while Toyota has hybrid vehicles in nearly every segment of the market, the smallest class […]

]]>For the past few years Toyota has scoffed at battery electric vehicles, instead favoring gasoline-electric hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but that could change.

During an interview with British publication Auto Express, Toyota’s European CEO, Johan van Zyl, suggested that while Toyota has hybrid vehicles in nearly every segment of the market, the smallest class of cars — the A-segment — could require a different approach.

“We’ve always said that we see a spectrum of powertrain technologies — not necessarily competing with each other but just the technology that suits each application best will be utilized by the customer,” van Zyl said.

“We already have some electric vehicles undergoing trials here in Europe — short-range, inner-city transport. So I think that in the future, if you look at that spectrum of technologies that we offer, then EVs will be part of that.”

When asked if the Aygo was a candidate to become an electric car, van Zyl gave an affirmative answer.

“Yes, that’s going to be very interesting. Will people use vehicles which will be completely emissions-free in certain areas?,” he said.

”We see a stronger growth of that type of thinking in cities where they’re saying, ‘We’d rather have emissions-free vehicles so it should be a plug-in or a pure-electric vehicle.”

Gerald Killman, the head of research and development in Europe, seemed to validate that the Aygo was headed to electrification by saying, “Clearly we do see the possibility for battery-electric vehicles there [in the Aygo]… but yes, we are developing it.”

The Toyota Aygo, a three- or five-door hatchback, has been produced alongside the Peugeot 108 and Citroen C 1 since 2005 in the same factory in France, and shares the majority of their mechanical components.

The Japanese-French partnership was formed to share costs on small cars, which have notoriously tight profit margins.

Since the development costs for an electric vehicle extraordinarily high, it seems logical that if Toyota builds an Aygo EV, it will have a couple of French cousins.